The Loving God

KEY VERSE: “I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” —Luke 15:10

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 15:1-10

AS JESUS MINISTERED, his message was particularly well received by the publicans and sinners. Publicans were tax collectors, and were classified along with sinners. The Pharisees and scribes, always desiring to stumble Jesus, were very critical of his having any association with publicans and sinners, and so they said, “This man [Jesus] receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” (vs. 2) Seizing upon this as an opportunity to give a pointed lesson of God’s love to them, Jesus immediately spoke two parables.

In verses four through six, he gives the first parable. It is about a man that had a hundred sheep, but one wandered away and became lost. There would, perhaps, be a temptation under such circumstances to just reason, “I still have ninety-nine sheep, and I may lose more if I seek it. I’ll just let that one go on its way—after all, it is only one sheep.” Jesus points out, however, that a good shepherd does not desire that any of his sheep be lost, and so he would go searching for the lost one until it be found. Once the lost sheep is found, the shepherd would greatly rejoice. The shepherd was so filled with joy that he carried the sheep home on his shoulders, and upon his arrival, invited all his friends and neighbors to rejoice together with him over the return of the lost sheep.

Jesus then gave to those gathered there, particularly to the critical Pharisees and scribes, the real lesson of this parable. (vs. 7) He said, “Likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Jesus pointed out that no sinner is beyond the power of God’s forgiveness and mercy, upon true heart repentance. There may be even more joy on God’s part when repentance is demonstrated by the more sinful than those who are less plagued with sin’s effects. Jesus realized that none can claim righteousness of themselves; all were as “lost sheep,” and in need of the Good Shepherd to bring them back to God’s sheepfold.

The second parable (vss. 8,9) gives the same lesson, but with a different story. Jesus tells of a woman that had ten pieces of silver, but lost one piece. As in the first parable, it might seem that one piece of silver (the equivalent of about an eighth of an ounce) was hardly worth looking for. However, perhaps these ten pieces were all that the woman had to live on for several weeks, if she were poor; or, this piece could be part of a bracelet, a marriage memento, or dowry, and could have had more than intrinsic value. And so she lighted a candle and swept the house, looking in every nook and cranny, under every rug and in every corner, until she found the lost piece of silver. As with the parable of the lost sheep, she rejoiced so greatly at finding it that she, too, called her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her that it had been found. Jesus concludes the lesson of the parable by stating that even the angels of heaven rejoice over the repentance of one sinner (vs. 10), showing the harmony with which the holy angels serve the interests of God and his arrangements.

Through these two parables, Jesus once again refuted the arguments of the Pharisees and scribes; but more importantly, he showed the immeasurable love and mercy of God toward his creation, “Who [God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”—I Tim. 2:4.

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